Newsletter

View From The Upper Deck

A weekly blog dedicated to the great American institution of baseball.

Posted June 9, 2014 06:26 am

T-Bone Richar Looking for Another Big League Shot

Danny Richar, pronounced Ree-char, came to America from the Dominican Republic to live out his dream of playing professional baseball. He achieved that dream by logging 79 games with the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds from 2007-2009.

A knee injury derailed his career, and after a multiple-year absence he is making a comeback attempt with the Kansas City T-Bones in the American Association.

“I was out for two years with knee surgery and I appreciate the chances I have gotten to continue to play,” Richar said. “I try to show the young players the little things in the game. I am just happy to be at the field and I thank God for the opportunity.”

Through 22 games Richar has 18 RBIs and 21 base hits hitting in the middle of the Kansas City lineup. New T-Bone skipper John Massarelli fully understands the effect a veteran in the mold of Richar can have on younger Kansas City teammates.

“The biggest thing about Danny is his consistency in his approach to the game. He comes to work every day and is out there early working on his double-play turns and the little things in the game,” Massarelli said. “He sets an example for the other guys on the team. At this stage in his career he understands what it will take to get back to the major leagues and shows it every day.”

Richar was signed at the age of 18 by the Arizona Diamondbacks as a non-drafted free agent. His first year in professional ball was split between Yakima, Wash., and Lancaster, Calif. Like most baseball players from the Dominican Republic and other Latin-American countries, Richar struggled adjusting to a new country.

“It was hard the first time I came here because I didn’t know the language and culture. It’s hard and I had to get used to it,” Richar said.

On July 28, 2007, Richar made his major league debut with the Chicago White Sox. He joined a lineup featuring Jim Thome, Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye. He started at second base and in a double-play combo with Juan Uribe behind starting pitcher Mark Buehrle.

Richar got a base hit in his first at-bat of the game and went 2-for-3 with a run scored in the 2-0 win over Toronto and its ace, Roy Halladay.

“My first game I faced Roy Halladay and got a hit in my first at-bat,” Richar said. “After the game I had an interview and they asked me if I knew the guy I faced. I said, ‘No, I did not know him.’”

Even after making his major league debut with Chicago in 2007, Richar was sent back and forth to minor league teams in the likes of Louisville, Charlotte, N.C., and New Orleans.

“I spent 10 years in the minors leagues overall and it was a difficult time. I just had to hang with it,” Richar said. “I just wanted to get out of the minor leagues and make it to a big league city.”

The White Sox traded Richar along with relief pitcher Nick Massett to the Cincinnati Reds in July 2008. In exchange the White Sox acquired future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.

“It was cool when I heard I got traded for Ken Griffey, but it’s no big deal, I had to just go and play,” Richar said.

Richar did play for the Reds, but only for 23 games. He spent most of the 2008 and 2009 seasons playing for the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate, the Louisville Bats. At the end of 2009 he signed a deal with the Florida Marlins but spent that entire season in Triple-A New Orleans.

In 2011 he spent his year in Independent Baseball in the Atlantic League before suffering his knee injury. After two years away from the game, Richar is trying to resurrect his career in a T-Bones uniform.

“He just needs to get his at-bats back,” Massarelli said. “He’s been off for three years now. He just needs to get back into a consistent groove. All of the tools are there; that’s why he was competing for an everyday job at the big league level. He has a good arm. He has some pop in his bat, and he can hit in the clutch.”

The American Association has had 16 players reach the major league level from their ranks, while numerous others have and are playing with affiliated minor league clubs. Richar hopes to add his name to that list by producing with the T-Bones.

“The big leagues were good. Now I am just trying to work hard to get back there,” Richar said.

Draft Day Diamonds

While Richar was displaying his skills in Kansas City chasing a chance to return to the majors, college and high school players across the nation were being drafted by major league clubs as they chase their dreams of being big leaguers. Here are some notes from the draft and some of the names who were called by commissioner Bud Selig.

• Thirty-nine players with some kind of tie to the state of Kansas were selected by major league teams, the first of which was Wichita State’s Casey Gillaspie. Gillaspie, the younger brother of Chicago White Sox third baseman Connor Gillapsie, was selected 25th overall by the Tampa Rays. Gillaspie hit .389 with 15 home runs and 50 RBIs for the Shockers in 2014. Three other Wichita State players were drafted including Shawnee Heights product Tyler Baker. Baker, a catcher, was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 15th round. A.J. Ladwig (Tigers) and Chase Simpson (Pirates) were the other two Shockers selected.

• A total of nine Kansas Jayhawks and Kansas State Wildcat players were taken in the draft. Left-handed pitcher Wes Benjamin was the highest selections from the two Big 12 schools. Benjamin was 4-0 over seven starts for the Jayhawks. Ross Kivett was the first Wildcat drafted. The outfielder was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the sixth round.

• Brandon Finnegan was the first Big 12 player selected in the draft. The pitcher from TCU was the first round-pick (17th overall) of the Kansas City Royals. Finnegan, a left-handed pitcher, is a Cape Cod league alum whose fastball reaches 93-96 mph on the gun.

• Of the 34 first-round picks 13 were high school selections while the other 21 players came from the college ranks. California high school pitcher Brady Aiken was selected first overall by the Houston Astros, while North Carolina State’s Carlos Rodon was the top college selection – third overall to the Chicago White Sox.

Horsehides and Red-Hots to everyone, Deck

Jeremy "Deck" Deckard is a correspondent for the Topeka Capital-Journal sports department. His "View from the Upper Deck" baseball blog appears at CJOnline each Monday. Deckard is a member of the Society for American Baseball Researh. He can be reached at UpperDeckard89@yahoo.com. Please put “UpperDeck” in the subject line of any emails. You can also follow Deck on Twitter at @UpperDeck89.